Services By Department

Henry Whittemore Library offers a wide range of services to its patrons. In addition to an extensive print collection, and some video recordings, the library subscribes to a variety of online databases.

Access Services & ReservesThe Access Services Department checks materials in and out of the library, handles renewals and overdues, takes in payment of library fines, maintains the book stacks, and answers general information questions. The Circulation desk is also where you pick up and drop off Interlibrary Loan materials.

Reserves are items selected by professors for use by their classes. The majority of reserve materials may only be used in the library. Most reserve items are kept at the Circulation desk. Students need an activated library card in order to use reserve materials.

Curriculum LibraryThe Ella C. Ritchie Curriculum Library, located on the Upper Mezzanine (UM) of the Henry Whittemore Library, contains a special collection of instructional materials for curriculum planning and unit development in early childhood, primary, elementary, and secondary levels.

ILL- Interlibrary LoanInterlibrary Loan is responsible for obtaining items not owned by the Whittemore Library for Framingham State University students, faculty and staff. It also fulfills requests for materials in the Whittemore Library's collection made by other institutions.

Periodicals Location: Recent periodicals, back issues, microfilm, and microfiche are located on the Upper Mezzanine (UM) at the Henry Whittemore Library. Bound periodicals are located two floors below in the Lower Reading Room (LRR).

Use the resources in the library, such as the online catalog, reference collection, periodical indexes and databases, and the Web.

Choose appropriate resources for a particular research topic.

Answer any type of question you might have about doing research or about the Library.

Walk-in Reference: Reference Librarians are available to answer reference questions in the library during regular reference desk hours. We are also available by appointment for individual or small-group consultations.

E-Mail Reference: Reference questions can be sent via e-mail to: reference@framingham.edu. Request a research appointment online, by phone 508.626.4654 or via e-mail.

Library InstructionWe offer many types of library instruction sessions and tours. To request a session or a library tour call 508.626.4083, send an e-mail to srothenberg@framingham.edu directly, or fill out this form:

Faculty members can request sessions in support of a class, a research paper, particular topic, or issue. For information on the instruction program's goals, review Library Instruction goals and initiatives 2013.

Faculty Collaboration and Information ExchangeContact the Instructional Services Librarian, Sandra Rothenberg, by phone 508.626.4653 or email srothenberg@framingham.edu for assistance with library instruction, collection development (print and electronic format), or about any issues in information literacy. Together we can develop program specific collaborations, handouts and web based educational materials. We can help you plan and organize student assignments and projects, assist in research and provide instructions in the library or at your classroom.

Here are some other examples of working together extracted from the book, The Collaborative Imperative: Librarians and Faculty Working Together in the Information Universe, Association of College and Research Libraries: 2000.

Coordination: Working independently towards a common goal: Library presentation in support of an assignment; Introducing students to information sources and search strategies they would encounter in actual job situations; Developing search strategies; Teaching library research;

Collaboration: Structured relationships to achieve common goals: A series of assignments prepared by both the librarian and the instructor; Team teaching and team involvement in every stage; Internet Instruction; Demonstrations of incorporation of new information literacy; Librarians as research collaborators; Developing effective assignments together; Faculty provide librarians with syllabi and student assignments.

Special Collections and AchivesThe Special Collections and University Archives are located in Room 110, which is on the first floor on the side opposite the entrance to the Henry Whittemore Library. Materials in the collections are available for research use from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Mondays through Fridays, or by appointment. Materials are non-circulating. Titles in the O'Connor Collection of modern American poetry and travel are searchable through the Library's online catalog. To request titles in the other collections, please consult the Special Collections staff.

The most visible effort expended by the Technical Services Department is the physical preparation of resources added to the collections of the Whittemore Library; the Main Collection, The Children’s and Curriculum Library, Archives, and the Reference Collection. These preparations includes applying ownerships stamps, spine labels, and anti-theft sensors, all of which are essential aspects of the Library’s responsibility to ensure that materials are properly shelved within the building, checked out and checked back in following their use. The Department also repairs damaged volumes, or seeks to have them replaced by the Acquisitions Department. The technical services policy is available on the Policies webpage.